Date
1-16-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Steve Johnson
Keywords
Childlessness, Infertility, stigmatization, Yoruba
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Olugbami, Godwin Segun-George, "The Masculine Perspective of the Stigmatization of Childlessness in Marriage in Yorùbáland: An Ile-Ife Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6448.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6448
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe men's experiences with the stigmatization of childlessness in the context of marriage in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The experience of childlessness as a universal phenomenon has been predominantly studied from the female perspective, and men are primarily neglected. The heteronormative ideal of women as 'mother/nurturer' is supported by only collecting women's fertility data in contrast to relatively suboptimal statistics in men's studies. This dissertation explores the view of ten African men set in the Yorùbá culture suffering from childlessness and its attendant stigmatization, mainly as a result of infertility. It provides in-depth interviews that document their narratives, highlighting common themes indicative of the causes, responses, and ongoing challenges of facing stigmatization due to childlessness in the Yorùbá culture. This empirical study reveals how stigmatization affects these men, particularly in their marriages. While the population is not elaborate, this study highlights the gap in the need to explore men's experiences as they grapple with unique emotional, societal, and personal challenges when plagued by childlessness. The study offers potential solutions to address the cultural stigma associated with childlessness among the Yorùbá people of Southwest Nigeria. Furthermore, the research will provide coping strategies to assist infertile men and their partners in managing their life circumstances.
